


Dégagér

by Weasy



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, High School, Human Angel (BtVS), Past Lives, Prophetic Dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-26
Updated: 2003-05-26
Packaged: 2018-12-26 04:39:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12051507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weasy/pseuds/Weasy
Summary: Buffy's dreaming about a powerful magi couple, but when a new boy turns up at school she finds it difficult to concentrate on what it might mean…





	Dégagér

**Author's Note:**

> Another very old fic, from 2003, of questionable quality but with interesting ideas. It was supposed to be a series but I never wrote the rest. I decided to follow through and transfer all my old stories unless they were really appallingly bad! Hopefully I'm getting the date settings on these old fic right so the transfers aren't flooding anyone's feed. 
> 
> This was originally posted to FF.net and on yahoo groups, so I have changed some things that I got wrong at the time but wasn't able to change then. (I love that the edit function became a thing!)
> 
> All lyrics are from peppercorn.

_~ Hyperventilating watching you I swear ~_

Buffy shifted slightly in her sleep, and letting out a soft sigh turned to bury her face deeper into the downy softness of her covers.

_A huge banquet was laid out before them, two vast tables that could have seated five dozen guests each were laden with rich suckling pigs and calf roasts, silver plates and cutlery gleamed in the firelight and the guests chattered amicably amongst themselves, smiling and laughing politely at jokes. There was a strange mixture of guests, thought Buffy, and she couldn't have placed the timeline of the couples seated around the table the clothes were modern mixed with very old. Across from her, two five-year-old children spoke fluent Spanish to an ancient Indian couple next to them, the woman laughed, and the silver details on her sari sprinkled firelight reflections across the room as she replied quickly… in Urdu._

_At the head of the table were a dark haired couple, the woman had pronounced dark features and large soulful eyes, while the man had old callused skin, that announced many years spent working in the sun to the guests. Whenever he smiled, which was often, his face seemed to lose twenty years. Curious Buffy turned to her right to try and identify her partner, her hazy dream filled state didn't allow him to distinguish his features, though her heart lifted at his presence._

_Suddenly the room quietened, and every eye in the room was on her. The dark woman with soulful eyes nodded gravely and whispered: "Inshallah"_

Buffy tensed in her sleep, a light sweat had broken out on her forehead and one small hand gripped the pillow tightly beneath her fingers as shivers overtook her body.

_The room shifted suddenly and the feast with the other guests were gone, instead the couple from before were sitting facing each other on a cold tile floor, they chanted in words that transcended the need of language, their eyes glowed and waves of majick crashed through their bodies. They would always be together…_

Buffy sat up with a start panting heavily she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark she scanned her room for intruders. The night lay heavy and oppressive on her mind and soul. Collapsing back onto her bed, she glanced at the time, and frowning fought the urge to call Giles and instead tried to get back to sleep. She'd tell Giles about the dream tomorrow.

 

The next morning Buffy sat in the Library with Willow and Xander trying to finish her math homework before first period, and tell Giles about her dream from the night before. "It was really weird Giles… that couple, they were some wicked powerful kind of magicians…"

"Magi." Willow supplied.

"Huh?" Buffy turned on her.

"Uh, well if they were channelling really powerful majick through themselves like that they were probably Magi. They can do much more impressive stuff than wiccas can."

"Yes." Giles agreed, and sighed, chewing absentmindedly on one his glasses, before replacing then on the bridge of his nose. "And you say that this woman said 'Inshallah' to you?"

"Yeah." Buffy's nose crinkled in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"Oh, er, 'if Allah wills it' if memory serves correctly. This is all rather interesting." He let out one last sigh before turning back towards his office. "I'll do some research, but there's been nothing more that dreams as of yet, so we should have some time."

Xander coolly watched his retreating back. "It's odd, why isn't he telling us to run to the hills?"

"Go away Xander." Giles' voice came from his office.

Xander shook his head and turned back to Buffy and Willow who were regarding him with amusement. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Math."

"Oh…" Xander cringed, "Any chance you can give me a hand with that Wills? I'll love you forever!" He pleaded, and Willow smiled widely at his proclamation, while Buffy just laughed. Xander's begging was interrupted by the library's swing door creaking open, a dark spiky haired head poked through the door. Buffy instantly started choking, eyes wide at the sight in front of her. A boy about her age, he was breathtaking his dark brown hair was held in loose touchable spikes over pale skin and chocolate brown eyes, he was probably at least six inches taller than Buffy and his dark shirt revealed a strong build. He let himself into the library, and flashing a smirk at Buffy he leaned over the library counter - and jumped back as Giles stood up from where he had been crouched behind the counter.

Xander burst out laughing, kicking him Buffy stood up and sauntered across the room toward him. Giles rolled his eyes. "Liam?" The boy nodded and Giles presented him with a stack of books. "Welcome to Sunnydale High." Liam just nodded, dumbstruck as he took in the pile in front of him.

"Want some help?" Buffy offered and as they carried the books from the room together they were all ready laughing and joking. Behind them Xander glowered.

As the last of the books was wedged into Liam's locker he slammed it shut with a satisfying click. "So," Buffy said, not wanting to leave the beautiful strangers company. "Your name is Liam, but everyone calls you Angel."

Angel blushed and Buffy nearly started hyperventilating at the sight of his flushed cheeks. "I wish I hadn't told you that."

"Why? I think it's beautiful. Like you." Buffy added slyly, regarding him from under bowed lashes for a moment before continuing. "You moved here with your Mom and Dad from New York, because your Dad got a job at a lawyer's practice here."

"And you moved here from LA last year, because you got kicked out your last school for burning down the gym." Buffy blushed as heavily as he did.

"How did you know that?" Buffy demanded.

"When I first saw you, I wanted to know everything about you." She looked confused. "I asked some guys." He reiterated.

"Oh. Did you really want to know all about me?"

"No." She looked crushed. "When I first saw you I wanted to kiss you."

"Kiss me?" She echoed, and unconsciously stepped closer to him raising her lips to his, Angel lowered his head to hers, and placed a soft open mouthed kiss on her lips. She shivered at the sensual contact stepping closer to wrap her arms around his waist. He leaned her back into the lockers, while one hand skimmed the flesh under her shirt. His other hand gently traced her jaw playing with a tendril of blond hair that hung there. He pulled away slightly and her hot puffs of breath against his swollen lips prompted him to kiss her again, the kiss quickly spiralled out of control fuelled by the passion burning in their bodies. Buffy found herself gripping fistfuls of Angel's shirt in her hands, while Angel pulled her body flush against his Buffy moaned softly in his mouth and panting for breath Angel pulled away slightly.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" He breathed, but the feel of Buffy's hot palms seared his back through the fabric of his shirt and his resolve was broken before he said the words.

"No. You shouldn't." Snyder's voice cut through the personal bubble they had been lost in. The passion died instantly. "This is not a brothel, Summers." He continued and glared at them until they shuffled slightly apart, and then swept his way along the corridor.

"Who's that?" Angel asked Buffy, her hand now clasped in his, conscience of the audience they had attracted.

"Principal Snyder." Buffy scowled at the man's retreating back. "I'm confident that he never had a single date in High School." Turning back to Angel she smiled broadly. "What've you got first thing?"

"Buffy-kissage." He replied, and ignoring the stares of their spectators swept her up in another passion-filled kiss.

By fifth period Willow was starting to think there was something wrong with Buffy, she had been told off at least a dozen times by Principal Snyder for making out with Angel, in the cafeteria, in the quad, by the lockers in the middle of study hall… It was like it physically hurt them not to touch each other. Fifth period English had put a stop to that, Buffy and Angel were in different groups, it didn't seem to be helping though. Buffy constantly fidgeted, and made no show of trying to pay attention but instead stared at the door and the clock alternately. Willow had almost had enough.

"Buffy." She whispered… Buffy didn't respond. "Buffy!" She hissed louder, and the students closest to them turned to stare at her. Buffy turned her attention to Willow. "What's wrong?"

"I miss Angel." She replied, Willow rolled her eyes and looked at the clock.

"It's half an hour since you saw him last." Buffy gave a small half-smile lost in the memory of their last meeting. "Buffy, why are you acting this way? Five minutes after you met this guy you were making out at the lockers. And you guys haven't been able to keep your hands off each other all day!" Realising she was being louder than she intended she lowered her voice. "This isn't like you, Buffy."

"I can't help it… when I'm around him it's like the lights dim everywhere else. When I'm touching him, kissing him. I feel safe, like I belong with him." She sighed. "I love him." Willow's eyes widened.

"What?" She screeched, and the entire class turned to stare at her. "W-what… er, is the uh. M-meaning of the s-speech in. Uh." She glanced at the books on her desk. "O-Othello?"

_~ No I don't take for granted where I am now, because I know it's all connected somehow ~_

Buffy and Angel had spent every moment together since school finished. Eventually dusk had approached and Buffy had taken him to his house, knowing she was duty-bound to patrol, or Giles would flip. Besides she needed time to get ready before meeting Angel again at the Bronze later that night. After picking out the perfect outfit, a black miniskirt and a tight red silk tank-top with battling Chinese dragons depicted on the front she got ready to leave. Heading out the house she managed to argue a curfew on half-past twelve out of her mother, but the time was only a formality. Buffy would just sneak through her window like she normally did after late night patrols. Quickly shutting the door behind her, she glanced at the time before making a quick decision decided to cut through Restfield.

A few short minutes later and Buffy was regretting her decision immensely, For the past minute there had been soft footprints following her through the cemetery. Tensing she decided to have it out with the hell spawn, it would just annoy her all night if she didn't. She span round and kicked it straight in the stomach. It landed on the ground with a heavy oomph just as she realised exactly what it was she was kicking. "Angel!" Rushing to his side she quickly helped him up. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't sneak up on me in graveyards… you should stomp. Or yodel." Smirking at her he gave her a soft kiss.

"I'll remember that." Looking around at the darkness around them his dark eyes pierced hers. "Where'd you learn to kick like that anyway?"

"Uh…" _Giles is going to kill me…_ The moment was shattered by a gun shot ringing in their ears. Spinning to face the direction of their attacker, Buffy was met by a tall demon. Unusually this demon was wearing a black on black suit, which contrasted sharply with his porcelain pale skin which was wrinkled and folded. The scars of demon hood, Buffy thought wryly, but chose to concentrate on the colt .45 that was staring her in the face instead of commenting. Seeing the demon's shoulder tense slightly, Buffy pushed Angel out of the way of the next bullet before the demon had even pulled the trigger.

"A gun? Does this mean your evil demon powers are too pathetic to use?" Buffy shot scathingly flipping up and kicking the gun out of the demon's hand in one smooth movement.

"No. I like variety." The demon replied, giving a strange sort of half-smile that revealed horrid decayed and disfigured teeth. Buffy spun around to deliver a whip-kick to his leg while her fist slammed against his face… which wasn't there any more. Whipping around to find her opponent, she found him leaning against a tree a few feet away.

"Uh. That's not good." She told herself, and tried to gear herself up for another attempt. The demon just laughed at her.

"Don't you remember me? Your good friend Apoch?" her confused expression seemed to inspire even more mirth in him and he was gone before she could do anything more. This time no matter how hard she looked she couldn't find him anywhere.

Sighing she turned back to Angel, to find him still crouched on the ground, one hand clasped around his side. "Angel?"

"I think I got shot in the arm." He replied. "Are you okay?" his voice was full of beautiful, understanding concern.

"We have to get you to the hospital!" She yelled at him, unable to process the fact that when kneeling in dirt in a cemetery with a bullet wound he asked how *she* was.

"Um. Okay." Angel replied and winced as he tried to stand up. "Hospital sounds nice." Buffy quickly came to his aid, pulling one of his arms over her shoulders, and carefully helping him walk while trying not to hurt his side. For a moment they walked together in silence, and Buffy was starting to wonder if he was in denial over the demon he'd just seen or if he was trying to work out how to ask her about it without sounding nuts. 

"So, I guess I found out how you know how to fight." 

With no idea how to phrase it, Buffy groaned inwardly. At least he'd asked about it though, she couldn't have stood it if he had been your standard denial person, and she'd had to hid her calling from him.

"Actually, it was Giles, the Librarian who taught me how to kick." She said lightly, and managed to coerce a slightly confused smile out of Angel. "You might want to not say anything until I've finished – because it will definitely sound like I'm crazy. But please trust me?" The heartfelt look she sent Angel was enough to make him nod in agreement.

And so Buffy began: she told him about Merrick, Giles and the Watchers Council, her eighteenth birthday, and being the Slayer, and why she had burnt down several school buildings, she told him about the Scooby Gang, as well as Kendra and Jenny. She told him all about Willow's forays into magic, and how Giles had been a demon making rebel when he was young, and about Xander's demon magnetism. She kept talking until they arrived at the hospital and Angel still hadn't said one word. As the nurses rushed around Angel and removed the bullet from his side in the ER, and washed the wound before bandaging it in clean white bandages, Angel still said nothing. When they were finally allowed to leave at almost two in the morning Buffy was close to tears. All she could think was that she had lost the one man she had ever truly loved. As the glass ER doors swung shut behind them Buffy turned to face Angel ready for one last attempt to convince him she wasn't crazy. Angel's arms sweeping her up in a hug met her.

"I love you. And I believe you." At Angel's words she let go and started pouring out streams of silent tears, peppering his face with kisses she recited "I love you." Over and over again.

 

Buffy sat at the library the next day, grinning like a thousand-watt light bulb and squirming torturously on Angel's lap. Even Giles' scolding couldn't have brought her down from the high she was running on. "Buffy, I can't believe you just let him know about this!" He raged, pacing in front of them, the rate he was going Buffy was willing to bet he'd meet Asia sometime soon, with the hole he was wearing in floorboards. "Do the words 'secret identity' mean nothing to you? Willow and Xander was quite bad enough, and Cordelia couldn't be helped. But you seem to have advertised it in the newspaper to attract boys!" Angel scowled at this, and Buffy grinned even louder at the idea of Angel being jealous. When Giles caught her grin she looked down, trying to rearrange her facial expression into something resembling remorse. She had limited success. "I don't know why I'm bothering. You couldn't care less could you?" Buffy attempted to disagree but found herself unable too.

"Sorry Giles. I'm just happy."

"You do seem to be rather glowing. If he makes you happy, all the best… but Buffy - "

"I know." Buffy cut him off quickly. She didn't want to hear about the danger Angel might be in now.

"Tell me about this demon that shot Liam." He sat down across the table from them and Buffy leaned forward to explain, Angel just watched every movement she made, in silent adoration.

"He wasn't über-ugly. Kind of pale and wrinkly like vamps. But I know he wasn't a vamp… he had expensive taste though, I swear that was an Armani suit…" Buffy's eyes glossed over for a second and then shook herself back to attention. "He could vanish and then appear again somewhere else, I suppose that's why I didn't see him coming. Oh and he said his name… it was Epok or something…"

"Apoch." Angel supplied. Breaking from his silent reverie "He said his name was Apoch, and he was surprised Buffy didn't know him." The sound of the bell broke the thoughtful silence, and shouldering their books Buffy and Angel headed off toward Chemistry.

The opportunity to discuss the night before further was spoilt by a surprise test by their entirely evil Chemistry teacher. Buffy slogged through the questions before her slowly feeling more and more deeply that it was unfair that Slayers had to take part in the education system. Well the test part anyway. If she hadn't gone to school she would never have met Angel. Sneaking a peek at her boyfriend sitting next to her she watched him scribbling away. Well he knew the answers, maybe she could get him to tutor her later… the thought brought lots more, much less innocent Angel thoughts into her mind. Those were good too. Finding her view suddenly blocked, she looked up to ascertain what the obstruction was, and found herself face to face with Apoch.

 

_~ I'm obsessed or maybe I'm driven ~_

"Aead" Apoch hissed at her, before slamming a double bladed broadsword across the middle of her table. Jumping up she watched as the table split in two. Responding immediately she slammed a powerful kick to Apoch's stomach and sent him flying across the room – straight into the projector, which slipped off it's stand and crashed to the floor in a shower of metal and glass.

"They better not make me pay for that!" Buffy threatened, and snapping the table leg off her now broken table proceeded to use it as a Bo stick against Apoch's powerful sword. He was getting the upper hand, and had backed her into a corner when she found him suddenly spinning away from her. Startled she saw Angel standing side by side with her, armed with his own table leg.

"Does this sort of stuff normally happen at school?" He asked concerned as together they battled fiercely against Apoch. Angel grunted as Angel slammed him against a wall, the breath knocked out of him.

"Dega." Apoch regarded his crumpled form. "Dega and Aead together again. It is only naturally that I should kill you." Slamming her makeshift staff against the back of his neck Buffy glared at him.

"Listen mister, I don't know what you are talking about. I am not this Aead person you are looking for, and Angel is not Dega!" And once again as Buffy prepared to plough her fist into his laughing face he vanished without a trace. Leaving Buffy with a trashed classroom and a load of terrified teenagers. It couldn't get any worse.

Principal Snyder's troll head appeared around the door and Buffy sighed. 

Of course it could worse.

 

Buffy and Angel sat with their respective parents in Principal Snyder's office only minutes later. Snyder paced the floor in front of them, while smiling maliciously at them. Buffy wasn't fooled, the pacing was a pretense that he was actually concerned about their futures in reality he was trying to draw out expelling them for as long as possible. He opened his mouth, and Buffy drew in her breath… she couldn't be kicked out again. She'd never be able to get into another school. And Angel, this was all her fault. She wasn't going to let the impotent Nazi know that though, and she carefully settled into her best poker face. How did I day that had started so well end so badly?

"I feel that Miss Summers, and Mr O'Connell have reached the end of their time at Sunnydale High." Buffy's breathe caught. Please no… she begged silently. "The board however, feels that it is not." The relieved sigh she gave out was audible, especially when amplified by Angel, her mother's and Angel's parents identical relieved noises. "But let me make myself clear, if you little parasites do so mush as sneeze out of line from now on you will be out, and I will make personally sure that you are never in anywhere else but San Quentin." Buffy tensed again, if they weren't being expelled then what was he going to do. She knew Snyder well enough and he would never let them go without punishment.

"You will each receive a four-day suspension and will be required to attend one hundred hours of community service." Her life was over.

Buffy and Angel had just got a four-day suspension for fighting in school. And as they stood on the steps outside the school it looked like their parents were about to square off as well. "This is your fault!" Angel's father hissed at her mother. "Your daughter is a delinquent! She's the sort of girl that I happily wave off to jail every day." The whispering had followed them outside of the school, the students had watched in silence as they were escorted off the premises and Harmony, the skanky ho had been telling the Cordettes how Buffy and the new guy were in a gang on PCP.

"She is not!" Angel yelled at him, but they all ignored him.

"If anyone is at fault it's your son! And don't you think that I will ever allow Buffy near him ever again!" Buffy's eyes widened in shock, reaching out she gripped Angel's hand tightly.

"Angel only met her a day and a half ago-"

"Mom…" She let out in a strangled gasp, before passing clean out.

_The magi where still sitting in their cold cell their eyes boring into each other. The sound of a door creaking in the background caught Buffy's attention, but she was unable to look away from the couple in front of her. A streak of silver cut through the air and Buffy tried to close her eyes as the broadsword severed the woman's head in one smooth motion, the man's execution followed, before he could even cry out at the loss of his mate._

_A pair of Hispanic teenagers sat laughing by the river side, the boy plucked a flower from a bush and threaded in into her hair. She laughed flirtatiously, and reached up to kiss him, stumbling she fell away, and looked down to see blood blossoming from the red hole in her chest. The boy was already dead._

_An old Indian man bumped into a lady in a bustling market, knocking her shopping from her hands, stooping down to pick up the bundles from the middle of the busy street he introduced himself. As their hands touched an explosion blew out one half of the street produce flew forty feet in the air, and the old couple were burned alive in a stream of living fire at the centre of the blast._

_Two little children splashed about in an overcrowded swimming pool…_

Unconscious Buffy reached and turned in her sleep, her fever had made her shove all her sheets to the foot of her bed, the curtains cracked likes whips, blown into the room by the wind and rain coming through the open window. She cried out in her sleep as image after image pierced her subconscious, as Apoch killed couple after couple again and again…

Rough wet hands shaking her eventually woke her from the oppressive turmoil of her dreams. Her fever heavy brain began to clear at the feel of the cold hands against the hot flesh of her arms. "Angel…" She whispered when she recognised his concerned eyes above her.

"I'm sick without you…" He murmured incomprehensibly. "I'm not allowed to see you. But, I feel like I can't breathe when I'm not touching you." His hands slid over her skin quickly shedding her off her clothes, and Buffy responded in turn.

"I love you Angel." She whispered as she quickly unbuttoned his shirt and shucked down his pants.

"I love you." He replied, and laying her down against the sheets, they worshipped each other till they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. Even in their sleep clung tightly to each other.

 

When Joyce opened the door to Buffy's room the next morning to wake her up a strange sight met her. Her window was open and the storm that had been raging the night before had left the curtains and carpet around it sodden with rain. A trail of wet footprints led to Buffy's bed, whose covers were strewn around the floor, except a single sheet which was wrapped around the sleeping form of her daughter, who was in turn wrapped in a sleep Liam. They were both obviously naked.

Joyce was speechless.

 

_~ At times you were simply disingenuous and I leave the first to reconcile ~_

Buffy smiled in her sleep and flattened her palm against the soft warm pillow she was sleeping on. Confusion registered on her sleep-addled brain. Forcing her muscles to co-operate she lifted herself from her comfy position she lifted her heavy eyelids to work out what she was sleeping on, Angel's chocolate brown eyes met hers and the night before came back to her in a sudden rush.

"Morning." He whispered, pulling her up his body for a kiss.

"Hi." She replied, and winced as she tried to move. "I'm kinda sore."

"I think that goes away." He looked concerned, and sitting up pulled her onto his lap, and swiftly started applying soft butterfly kisses to her neck. "I love you."

She moaned, trying not to think about his hangs gliding over her skin. "You have to go home, before mom sees us." She whispered, the meaning of her words barely registering in her ears.

"Okay." He replied and continued nipping and licking a path along her collarbone. Gently Buffy pushed him away.

"I love you." She whispered before capturing his lips in one final kiss. Silently they dressed each other and Angel left through the window. Noticing her blood stained sheets, Buffy quickly stripped her bed, and choosing an outfit for the day, headed to the shower.

When Buffy entered her kitchen that morning she was met by her mother doing the dishes, the breakfast bar had a huge stack of pancakes on it.

"Sit down." Her mother ordered, still facing the sink. Buffy obeyed silently. Putting the last dish away Joyce sat opposite her at the table, uncertain what her mother was upset about Buffy stared blankly at her. "Weren't you going to invite Liam to breakfast?" 

Uh-oh… 

Her mother has seen her with Angel. Buffy remained silent. 

"Buffy you are only just eighteen, and you have known him for two days. What do you think you are doing?"

"I love him." Buffy whispered, but Joyce didn't hear, or if she did she couldn't comprehend what she had said.

"I mean were you safe?"

"Yes." No. Oops.

"Christ Buffy – How could you be so stupid!" Joyce had turned an interesting shade of purple, and Buffy disinterested watched her facial muscles twitch in exasperation. She just couldn't care, she had Angel and they were together and happy and it didn't matter what her mother said. "What part of 'you can never see him again' did you not understand?" Joyce was interrupted mid-tirade by the house phone's shrill ring. Buffy moved to answer it and Joyce fixed her with her cold gaze. "Leave it." Buffy ignored her.

"Hello?… Giles!… what?… No, he just left… Okay. I'll be right over." Hanging up without saying goodbye Buffy jumped down from the kitchen stool and picking up her coat from the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Her mother demanded, following her into the hallway.

"I have to find Angel, Apoch is going to kill him."

"Buffy, if you walk out now - Don't even think about coming back." The words hit Buffy like a tonne of bricks.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered horrified. "I have to go." She ran out, and the door swung shut behind her.

Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia sat in oppressive silence at the library table. Giles had told them Angel had just left Buffy's house and she was going to find him before coming to the library.

"What was he doing at Buffy's. It's seven in the morning." He scowled.

"They were probably screwing." Cordelia replied tactless as ever, and the entire table turned to stare at her shocked by her blunt accusation.

"Buffy wouldn't do that." Xander snarled, anger coursing through his veins.

"Please, have you seen the way they've been hanging off each there last few days? It was never going to be long before they took the next step." Fishing a nail file out of her bag, she carefully started inspecting her left hand. The shock in the air was palatable. "What?" She replied finally looking up at them.

"I can't believe you just said that!" Willow replied.

"I know they've hardly been from each others sides since they met. But Buffy's not a slut!" Xander shot, Cordelia just rolled her eyes, and the groups settled into another bout of uncomfortable silence, each persons thoughts roaming at a hundred miles an hour.

They were interrupted from their thoughts by a loud click from the back of the stacks. A second later Buffy was revealed coming out from the darkness in the stacks, Liam's hand in hers. The group stared at them as they traversed the room, Buffy motioned for Angel to sit in her usual seat at the head of the table, and then curled up in his lap his arms instantly holding her in place. Their hands where pilled together on her lap, their fingers entwined together. Matching silver rings adorned the middle finger on each of their right hands. And each member of the Scooby Gang thought exactly the same thing: they hadn't really slept together had they?

"What's up guys?" Buffy prompted, and Giles appeared from his office, a book in one hand.

"Oh good morning Buffy, Liam." Angel's nose wrinkled a little at the name Liam, Giles didn't notice. Sitting down at the head of the table Giles opened up the book and turning it so the whole table could see he pointed to an illustration of a man and a woman, they both wore dark clothes, and had dark features. The woman had pronounced features and large soulful eyes, while the man had old callused skin, that announced many years spent working in the sun. Buffy gasped.

"Those are the people I was dreaming about!" She exclaimed.

"Yes. This is Dega and Aead." Spinning the book back around to face him he skim-read the text. "Hundreds of years ago they were a powerful pair of magi. They were very much in love, but they were also rather. W-well. Evil." Buffy looked shocked at this announcement, with everything she had felt and thought she had always seen the magi as the victims not the criminals in the picture. "They killed hundreds of people. The council decided the only way to stop them was to have them killed."

"But they were human." Willow interrupted shock registering on her face. Giles looked anxiously over at Buffy.

"They made me do the curcamvitae tests. I'm not doubting their ability to kill humans. Plus they sacked Giles." Buffy reassured him.

"Yes lets bring that up as often as possible." He sighed before returning to the text in front of him. "Eventually they summoned the demon Apoch to kill them."

"But before he killed them they did a spell-" Buffy followed her dreams through, "what did the spell do?"

"It bound their souls together, so that whenever they where reincarnated they would be able to find each other again."

"So Apoch just killed them every time they met again." Buffy sighed, and Angel pulled her closer whispering soothing words in her ear, he knew all about her dreams - because he'd been having them too. Angel looked up solemnly.

"So how do we get him to realise that we're not Dega and Aead?" Giles looked him in the eye sorrow written all over his face.

"But you are." Oz told them, his poker face had slipped to an honest sympathy.

"B-but we can stop Apoch right? Giles?" Willow stuttered, panic clear in her voice.

"Yes. I think we can. If we can somehow bind his body to this plain, he won't be able to teleport himself, and Buffy should be able to fight him." Buffy nodded in agreement, lost for words. "Well if Willow and Oz could come with me to the majick shop for supplies we should be able to do this tonight." Willow and Oz stiffly followed Giles out the room, Willow had hugged Buffy before she left mumbling something incomprehensible into her ear. There were just four of them left in the library, Xander had been shooting Angel death glances until Cordelia sighed loudly grabbed her stuff and left without a word of goodbye. Xander ran out after her.

Dimly Buffy realised she had started crying into Angel's shirt and he was running his hands through her hair trying to soothe her. "What's wrong, baby?" He whispered to her.

"How do I know you really love me, or if it's just this person from before that's messing with my feelings." She replied burying herself deeper into his shirt. Shocked at the statement Angel pulled her up to face him, and gently pressed his lips against hers, her sobs stopped instantly and his warm lips and tongue sent shivers of pleasure through her body.

"I love you. I have waited my entire life to find you, and it has nothing to do with residual past life feelings. They could never be as strong as the feelings I have for you." Buffy smiled at his words, and suddenly felt really stupid for crying all over his shirt.

"I know what you mean." She breathed, then quickly changed tack, "I guess you think I'm just some girlie wuss now, huh?" She indicated his damp shirt. He laughed at her sudden change in attitude and she revelled at the sound of it. Planting a soft kiss on the ring on his finger she inspected it carefully. "Where did you get these rings from?"

"My grandmother gave them to me, last time I visited her in Ireland. She gave me these rings and said I should give them to the woman I loved. They're called Claddagh rings, the hands stand for friendship, the crown for loyalty and the heart for love." He told Buffy pointing out each part of the ring as he talked. And she listened in rapt adoration, even though he'd told her the story all ready. "They're the ones my Grandfather gave her." Buffy smiled and listened as he told her about his family in Ireland and their voyage to America. She'd worry about her mother's proclamation later.

 

_~ Don't you know to err is human ~_

The swing doors squeaking open disrupted Buffy and Angel's peace. Hoping off Angel's lap, Buffy quickly started towards the stacks with Angel. But their pursuer had already spotted them. "Buffy. Stop." The voice called, and Buffy dimly recognised it as Quentin Travers, the boss of the Watchers Council. The guy who had subjected her to her eighteenth birthday tests, and the man who had fired Giles. Eyes narrowing in anger, she spun around to face him.

"I don't work for you anymore, Travers, I can damn well do as I please." She hissed, and she felt Angel tense behind her as he recognised the man from her tales of the Watchers Council.

"I'm here to help." He soothed, opening his arms in a friendly gesture of peace.

"Why don't I believe you?" She shot back.

"You're not still sore about that are you?" He laughed lightly, to brush her fears away. It didn't work.

"You let an insane psychotic Vampire kidnap my mother and stripped me of my Slayer strength. You're lucky I haven't killed you all ready. Leave." She stood firm, cold hostility pouring from her every movement.

"You might as well introduce me to your friend." He tried.

"Liam." Angel growled, trying to restrain himself form hurting the man who had hurt Buffy. "I suggest you leave." A wicked smirk crossed his features, "You don't want to be on the receiving end when she's really angry." Purposeful striding across the room and sitting down at the table he smiled. "Of course, you could stay, I'd love to watch the consequences."

Travers gave up trying to be nice. A flick of his hand, and he stepped back to reveal Apoch grinning behind him. A momentary rush of panic flashed through Buffy's eyes but she controlled it and quickly flipped over the counter picking up two broadswords that she kept there. She threw one to Angel who was running to her aid. By the time they were ready to defend themselves from Apoch he had vanished again. Standing back to back they slowly circled around scanning the room for their attacker. Spotting a shadow flitting through the stacks Buffy took a few steps away from Angel toward it, sword drawn ready to pounce. Angel turned to shout a warning but it was too late. Apoch appeared behind her, and slamming his forearm into the back of her neck watched as she collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Angel was alone and faced with a demon that wanted to kill him. "Why are you doing this?" Angel shouted at Travers, making a wide sweep at Apoch with his sword. Apoch easily dodged the amateur blow, and Angel gulped he had no idea how to sword fight.

"Dega and Aead's reincarnations are always important for the world. Good or bad, if they stay in the world they always heavily impact the balance."

"So why don't you just guide them to the good side, or some shit like that instead of killing them?" Angel gasped, he managed to dodge Apoch's fist which smashed towards his face, but not his other hand which grasped him around his neck and held him in the air in a bruising pincer-like grip. "And what's up with you? You're not your usual chatty self around your boss." Angel goaded, the grip around his neck tightened and Angel gasped struggling to breathe.

"Because it has always been that way. Dega and Aead never had the ability to follow rules. We can not bend them from their evil path. So we simply eradicate them."

"Buffy's not evil! You fucking Psycho!" Clawing at the hands around his neck he yelled at Travers. "You're supposed to be on the good side! You're just murderers!" Travers shock his head impatiently, like he was talking to a small child.

"There's no other way." 

Angel snorted.

"You could *not* kill us." Travers just stared blindly at him. 

"Well take that instead you arrogant bastard." He grinned wickedly as Travers crumpled to the ground. Behind him stood Xander, a baseball bat in his hands. 

"Go Xander!" Angel screamed triumphantly, and redoubled his efforts to get out of Apoch's vice like grip. Apoch meanwhile was looking very confused. Stunned he let his grip on Angel go, who plummeted to the floor, stumbling to stand up again, Angel could see Willow chanting from a book in the corner of his eye, Cordelia and Giles were holding burning herbs of some sort that smelt heavily of Opium incense.

Apoch spun around, trying to work out why he couldn't shift to the ethereal plain at will anymore. He was met by Buffy's sword. While Apoch had been busy with Angel Buffy had woken on the floor and managed to retrieve her sword, she was also very angry. Her double-edged bade cleaved through Apoch's throat in one smooth motion, and before his head could drop to the floor the demon vaporised in a shower or red ash.

The entire Scooby Gang watched in silence as Buffy's sword dropped to the floor, colliding loudly with the floor, the blade vibrated from the force at which it contacted the stone. She looked up, lost and alone, unshed tears visible in her eyes. Angel was by her side in an instant, he cradled her against his chest and rocked her gently. "It's okay baby." He whispered softly kissing the crown of her head.

"Mom saw us." Buffy whispered, her hushed tones rang out clearly in the still of the library and every spectator waited wit bated breath. "She kicked me out, Angel." Angel tensed at her words, and Buffy sensing it started to cry harder.

"It's okay…" He whispered. "We'll sort it out. I promise, they can't keep us from each other beloved."

Giles cleared his throat reluctant to interrupt the couple but feeling things needed to be said. Buffy and Angel turned to their audience, and the grief in their eyes subdued them all. "If you want you can stay with me, both of you. Until you can sort things out with Joyce. I can talk to her, if you'd like me to."

Buffy smiled a smile, a real honest smile that reached her eyes. "Thank you, Giles."

 

**The End**


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